Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart, and success will come to you – Oprah
Guess what. To do something well, you have to like it. In fact, it might even help if you LOVE it. If you are a business owner, service provider, or solo-prenuer, or maybe even just thinking about starting your own business, let me ask, do you love what you do?
It’s crucial that you enjoy, and yes – even LOVE, what you’re doing if you want your business to succeed. Doubt me? Entrepreneur.com reports that if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, in all likelihood that will be reflected in the success of your business–or subsequent lack of success. In fact, if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, chances are you won’t succeed.
I’ve been walking this road for a number of years and understand what it takes to build a business that has purpose, that is fulfilling, and yes, that pays the bills. We all want that don’t we? The opportunity to create a livelihood doing something that we love? The opportunity to work for ourselves?
If you are running (or preparing to run) a small business, there’s one thing you need to know straight out of the gate – you HAVE to be completely dedicated to your business, day and night, regardless of the circumstances. You have to be thinking about it, working at it, looking for opportunities, and be responsible for it, nonstop.
That’s why it’s important to make sure that you love what you’re doing, and to feel motivated to push through to the next level. Building – and sustaining – a small business takes a lot of work, and while it can provide a comfortable income, the responsibility of that business, the planning, the hoping, and the dreaming will be on your mind, if not all, then definitely most of the time. So, if your business is ultimately something that you are going to be focused on full time, shouldn’t it be exciting?
There is one question that you can ask yourself that will determine if your business is a good fit – would you do it for free?
Now let me say right now that there is no way any of you should work for free – EVER. The question really boils down to, do you love it so much that you often think, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this?” Are you so passionate about what it represents that you have honed your skills, for little or nothing? Have you practiced with purpose?
I love what I do. Period. And each and every client that I help reach their marketing objectives provides one of those, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this” moments. And each and every client I help learn how to market their own business provides the same rush when they “get it” and are on their way.
Mother Teresa said that, “Work without love is slavery.” You want your business to succeed, right? So, this week, before you do one more thing related to your business, take some time to determine if you really, truly, love what you do, and grow from there.
